The penile erection, coming through a complicated physiological pathway involved in not only blood vessel system but also endocrine and nervous system, is induced by a chain of phases such as relaxation of corpus cavernous smooth muscle by a variety of stimuli, increase of blood flow by the inflation of a small hole and the expansion of an arteriole, increase of the inside pressure of the penis, decrease of the venous outflow by compressing of the subtunical venular plexuses between the tunica albuginea and the peripheral sinusoids, and then increase of the inner pressure of the penis more (Lue T F, Tanagho E A., J Urol, 1987, 137, 829-36). With the physiological explanation of the penile erection and the studies on the medicinal effects and mechanism of many agents applying to corpus cavernous smooth muscle, an attempt has been made to apply those medicines having an activity of relaxing corpus cavernous smooth muscle to the treatment of erectile dysfunction. As of today, known agents being able to relax corpus cavernous smooth muscle are adrenergic α-receptor blockades, cholines, NO (Nitric Oxide), peptides, prostaglandin, histamines, calcium channel inhibitors, calcium channel openers, nonspecific vasodilators, etc. (Linet O I, Ogrinc F G., N Eng J Med, 1996, 334, 873-7; Tong Y C et al., Pharmacology, 1992, 45, 241-9; Miller M A et al. Int J Impot Res, 1995, 7, 91-100; Andersson K-E, Wagner G., Physiol Rev, 1995, 75, 191-236; Andersson K-E, Stief C G., World J Uro, 1997, 115, 14-20; Andersson K E., Pharmacol Rev, 2001, 53, 417-50).
There has been no report on the frequency of erectile dysfunction. However, the number of patients suffering from erectile dysfunction is definitely being increased by the reasons of the expanded life span, the increase of adult diseases, change of diet, the increase of industrial and traffic accidents, the increase of mental stress and physical fatigue resulted from complicated modern life, etc. The methods for the treatment of erectile dysfunction are internal treatment including taking medicines and male hormones, surgical treatment including vascular surgery, surgical implantation of penile prosthesis, etc, and injection of vasodilators in corpus cavernous smooth muscle. Medicines for the internal treatment, which is, though, not suitable for the treatment of severe stromal erectile dysfunction, are exemplified by male hormones, yohimbin, apomorphine and traszodone. However, such medicines have side effects and even their treating effects are in doubt. A medicine acknowledged to have a reliable reproducibility has not been reported yet (Andersson K E, Pharmacol Rev, 2001, 53, 417-50; Montorsi F et al., BJU International, 2003, 91, 446-54; Vitezic D, Pelcic J M, Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther, 2002, 40(9), 393-403), and just sildenafil has been used for the primary treatment of erectile dysfunction (Heaton J P, Dean J, Sleep D J, Int J Impot Res, 2002, 14, 61-4).
Ogalpi has been well known as a traditional medicine in Korea. It has a hot and bitter taste and has a property of warming things up. Ogalpi is known to eliminate gout in liver and nervous system, invigorate and bring the essence in a body. It has been prescribed for such diseases as Oro (fatigue caused by the weakness of five internal organs), Chilsang (seven representative symptoms shown in men caused by the weakness of a body) and difficulty in moving legs. Long-term administration of ogalpi increases energy, protects the stomach, invigorates, clears mind, increases will power, prevents aging, helps having a light heart and clears bad blood in a body. So, ogalpi has been used for the treatment of such symptoms as pain in backbone, male impotence, scrotal eczema, female amenorrhea, etc. In Korea, ogalpi has long been used as a natural tonic medicine, and is still added to health food. It was once reported that an extract of Acanthopanax senticosus had liver protective activity (Chun-Ching Lin and Pei-Chen Huang, Phytotherapy Research, 2000, 14, 489-494). However, there is no report on the effect of ogalpi on sexual function.
Thus, the present inventors found that extracts of each roots and stems of Acanthopanax divaricatus var. albeofructus, Acanthopanax senticosus, Acanthopanax senticosus var. subinermis and Acanthopanax koreanum, extracted by using 70% ethanol or distilled water, induce the penile erection and have completed this invention by confirming that those extracts can be effectively used for the production of health food and a treatment agent for erectile dysfunction.